Built c.1830-1835,
Old Windsor Road, Kings Langley (now Bella Vista).
Bella Vista is an intact historic farm complex of national
significance. The complex features a homestead and farm outbuildings
that remain almost untouched since the 1870's.
The Bella Vista area was first settled in 1794-1795 with a land grant
to Matthew Pearce (it was the Pearce's who built Bella Vista and
occupied it for much of it's history). Pearce named his property "Kings Langley" (which name still
lives on in the suburb of that name). In 1799 Joseph Foveaux obtained a
neighbouring grant of 980 acres, which was known as the "Stock Farm". The same year Richard
Richardson received a 160 acre grant, which includes the present day
site of Bella Vista. By the end of 1801 John Macarthur had aquired both
Foveaux's and Richardson's grants, along with several other small
neighbouring properties to create the 2270 acre "Seven Hills Farm". It was on this
farm that the Macarthur's (strictly speaking Elizabeth Macarthur since
John was in England at the time) bred the first Merino sheep - the breed which quickly came to dominate the
Australian sheep industry. Bella Vista's most important heritage is
that it was the birthplace of the Australian sheep industry, an
industry that more than any other has not only contributed to the
Australian economy but has helped establish Australia culturally and as
a nation. If only for this Bella Vista is the most important historic
site in the Blacktown region, yet is one that is in extremely poor
condition. Historically the Macarthur's Camden farm is often cited as
the homeplace of the Australian sheep industry, however the breed (and
the Macarthur herd) was first established at Bella Vista before being
moved to Camden. In 1821 the Macarthur's exchanged their "Seven Hills Farm" for land at
Camden and removed their merino herd there. The government then
regranted the "Seven Hills Farm"
land, with the main receipients being Matthew Pearce and James
Robertson. It was Robertson who built the oldest part of what came to
be known as "Bella Vista",
c.1830. Robertson was an orchardist, but also ran sheep and cattle on
the property. Robertson sold the estate, "Robertson
Farm", in 1838 to Isabella Acres, who returned to England in
1842 and sold the land to William Pearce. Pearce added to the
homestead, but it was his son, Edward, who expanded the farm and
homestead to the present day complex. Edward was an orchardist and one
of the most successful in the state by the 1880's, shipping produce to
Melbourne and Tasmania, among other distant parts. The establishment
of farming and, more importantly, orchards, in the Murray River
region in the 1890's saw a decline in Bella Vista's profitability and
the family sought other sources of income. By 1912 sheep had again been
reintroduced to the property and the family further diversified into
cereal crops and vegetable gardening. By the 1920's the family began to
concentrate on dairying and until 1949 "Bella Vista" operated as a
dairy, at times being operated by the Pearce's, at other times being
leased out. In 1950 the family sold the estate to the North Sydney
Brick and Tile Company (now Norbrick), who then leased the farm in 1952
to the
Jones family, who operated a dairy until 1979 (according to a family
member - other sources claim it was a poultry farm). Some stablisation
of the site (both the homestead and outbuildings) was done by the Jones
family during this time and the laundry area roofed. In 1974 the
homestead and surrounding
land was resumed by the Metropolitan Water, Sewerage and Drainage
Board, the remainder of the farm being slated for the Norwest Business
Park (developed in the late 1990's). In 1997 the core of the farm
including the homestead and surrounding farm buildings was transferred
to Baulkham Hills Council, with plans to restore the site.
The "Bella Vista" site
consists of the homestead, outbuildings
and the core of the farm including slab fencing and paddocks. The farm
buildings
are mostly timber slab construction. The homestead is a two storey
Victorian brick structure rendered throughout with
stone-struck cement. The pitched roof is now terracotta tiles, with
single chimneys on the north and south elevations and two on the west.
Verandahs on north and south elevations are of concrete over sandstone
with iron columns. The southern side of the house also has an upper
balcony with wooden floor, iron columns and
Victorian cast-iron balustrade. The original door on the southern side
has a fanlight with shuttered
windows either side. A second door on the east side and
four french windows in the upper storey also have shutters.
The earliest form of the house appears to be a single storey cottage
with a verandah with timber
posts and stone flagging and date to Robertson's occupation
(1821-1838), along with the kitchen block. In 1865 Edward Pearce
expanded the
homestead, adding the second storey and an east wing. In 1887 he again
refurbished
the homestead, extending the verandah's and adding the French doors and
Venetian windows. At the same time the breezeway between the house and
the kitchen block was enclosed. The kitchen block, to the north of the
main house, is a rectangular single storey Colonial Georgian structure
of brick with shingled gabled roof, since clad with
galvanised iron. The kitchen block had an externally accessed loft at
some stage (there is a second story door, but no floor or stair). The
kitchen block has been extensively modified and rebuilt and at some
stage prior to 1960 another wing was added, adjoining the kitchen block.
In addition to the homestead the site contains a large number out
outbuildings, some dating to the 20th century, but most to the 1800's.
Most of these buildings are in a poor state, some partially collapsed.
They include the Blacksmiths Hut (c.1870-1890), Coach house
(1820's-1840), a barn (c.1870), tool shed (1860's), stables (1860's),
cow shed (late 1800's) and the Packing & Wool Shed (1890's).
The Blacksmith's Hut is a small
wood slabs structure with a gabled corrugated iron roof. It has
partially collapsed and is covered with vegetation. The coachhouse,
also known as Fitzgerald's Cottage, is probably the oldest building
remaining on the site and was orignally a single storey slab timber
cottage with a bark roof and a brick hearth, typical of the 1810's and
1820's. It has been considerably altered, first with additional rooms
(1850's & 1860's) and then with its conversion into a coach house
in the 1880's. The extensions were of timber frame and weatherboard.
Flooring is a mix of earth, rough stone and brickwork. There is also a
verandah. Only two walls remain of the original hut. Two other
originally similar slab huts survived on the site until the mid 1900's.
The barns and sheds are typical 19th century slab buildings with iron
roofs. The barn has a timber floor and the remains of a shingle roof
can be found under the present day corrugated iron roof. The remains of
numerous other stuctures can be found on the site, largely completely
collapsed, as well as cisterns located near the coach house and kitchen
block.
The condition of the homestead and the outbuildings is extremely poor,
with considerable deteoriation to the homestead due to weather and
vandalism. The windows and most of the ironwork has vanished or been
destroyed and makeshift repairs hold up the upper verandah. Alterations
and additions made in the mid 1900's are not only out of character with
the 1800's constructions but also mostly partially collapsed. As with
the homestead, the outbuildings are also in a poor state, some
partially collapsed, others overgrown with vegetation. The site has
suffered in the past considerable damage from burrowing rabbits,
especially noticable inside the unfloored outbuildings. Since the late
1990's, some restoration and stablisation of the site has been done,
but it's fate remains in doubt with Baulkham Hills council determined
to develop the property for housing and commercial usage.
During the 1980's and into the 1990's a volunteer caretaker lived on
the site (in a caravan), an attempt to reduce the continued damage due
to vandalism. The then caretaker was a friend of my family and in the
late 1980's I was fortunate to have a private tour of the site.
